


Family Hunter

by SZRS



Series: Archival Realm's [2]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: My OC Swears a decent amount, My OC is essentially the only sane adult, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2019-08-26 18:58:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16687126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SZRS/pseuds/SZRS
Summary: Essentially its Hunter X Hunter but with the inclusion of my Original Characters (of which I've got a lot).  Going to stay Canon Compliant up till nearer the end at which point i start diverting and going my own direction.





	1. Chapter 1

On a ship out to sea was a young man named Samuel. He stood 5’8 with a flat stomach and hair the color of sand that came down to his shoulders as well as a small scruffy chin/neck beard. He wore glasses, cargo pants, a solid purple shirt with a Cyan and White plaid patterned button down shirt over it. He also had black shoes and an ocean blue beanie hat. 

Samuel was a simple man. He only wanted one thing in life, to become stronger. nothing was more thrilling than finding fighting and defeating a worthy opponent. He had become quite strong in his homeland, strong enough that the council had decided it was time for his basic training to end and to send him into the world. 

He wasn’t really given an objective, no one is, he just wanted to fight and get strong and as a result he knew exactly where to go. The Hunter Exam. The most powerful people in the world were all hunters, and he could much more easily access the kind of opponents he wanted to fight if he had a hunters license. He got a boat to another island and from there he boarded the boat that would wind up carrying him to the Exam. They only had one more stop before the exam site, someplace called Whale Island.

***

Only one person boarded the boat at Whale Island. A kid, though Samuel could sense his potential. In fact that kid was probably better than most of the passengers on this ship. On this ship alone we’re probably more than a hundred passengers trying to become hunters, not many of them would make it. 

In fact he could count the potentials on one hand. Including himself and the kid, there were 4 people who stood a chance. There were two young men, one in suit and one in what seemed like some traditional robes of his homeland (or at least Sam assumed). He had tried speaking to the man in the suit, but he was rudely brushed off. He didn’t even try to approach the other man, after all Sam could tell the people who preferred solitude.

He watched the kid for a little while, trying to get a read on his personality. After watching a couple sailors bully the cabin boy , the Kid helped him pick up the apples he spilled. The kid seemed to be kind enough. He was about to go introduce himself when he overheard the conversation he and the captain were having.

“There’s a storm coming”. Said the kid. 

“How can you tell?” Asked the captain as Sam wandered over. The boy pointed toward the crows nest, where seagulls were flying around. 

“That’s what the seagulls are saying.” Said the boy. Sam looked up and saw the boy was right (after all in his homeland knowing about the ocean and how to sail was a requirement). 

“And also,”. The boy paused to sniff the air. He then jumped up to the crows nest and sniffed again. He looked back down at the captain and Samuel with a worried expression.

“It’s a really big storm that’s coming”. 

The captain had a slightly shocked look on his face. Sam was even impressed. There was no one in his tribe that had a nose like that.

“He can smell the weather?” Sam chuckled, “Cool.” He turned toward the captain and continued,

“I’m inclined to believe the boy, so if there’s anything I can do to help please let me know. Sailings a tradition where I come from.” He smiled.

“Yea...”. Replied the captain who seemed lost in his own thoughts. 

*****

Several hours later they caught a brief respite from the storm. Sam was below deck and frankly unimpressed. Maybe it’s because of where he was raised, but these people wanted to be hunters? Not one of em could stand after the storm, they were all so nauseous. Well aside from those people that he had noticed earlier. 

“Here chew these herbs, they’ll make you feel a little better.” Sam heard a voice. He turned and saw that boy again. Helping some of the sicker passengers.

“W-water.” The sick man managed to choke out, meekly.

“Yes it’s coming.” Replied the boy. 

“At least the boy is kind.” Thought Sam. Generally people being unkind caused more problems for others, and people who were mean for the sake of it.... well Sam hates those kinda of people.

Suddenly that cabin boy who was being picked on earlier ran in with a cup of water. 

“Here you go.” He said giving the cup to the boy.

“Thank you Katzo.” Replied the boy. He started dripping the cup into the sick mans mouth.

“Yo!” Shouted Sam walking over. “Just give him small sips at a time. If he starts chugging it it’s gonna overwhelm his stomach and he’s just gonna puke it back up.”

“Oh! Thank you.” Said the boy with a cheery smile. 

A few minutes later the captain called all of us to the helm to speak with us. 

“Alright for starters, what are your names?” He asked. 

“I’m Gon”. The young boy shouted cheerily.

“Kurapika.” Said the boy in traditional clothes.

“I’m Leorio.” Said the man in the suit.

“Sam”. Sam Said simply. 

“Why do you want to be hunters?”

“What does it matter to you? Your just driving the bus.” Said Leorio

“That a fact?” Asked the captain. 

“Of course.”

“My dads a hunter and I wanna follow in his footsteps!” Said Gon.

“Oi kid don’t go spilling so easily.” said Leorio

“What’s the big secret?”

“Just show some solidarity here, I don’t jump when someone tells me to.”

“ I agree with Rioleo” Said Kurapika

“Hey my names Leorio at least get that right!” Shouted Leorio.

“One could dodge the question with a plausible lie,”. Continued Kurapika.

Sam very quickly lost interest as Kurapika spouted some speech about lying and personal secrets. All Sam could think was how Gon was the only sane person in the room. The other two were being so damn dramatic. 

“Well if that’s how you feel then you can get off my ship.” Said the captain. 

He revealed that (or at least as far as Sam could tell having just zoned back in). That he was essentially an examiner in a sort of preliminary exam and how whether we pass or fail was his call. 

“Ha,” Sam gave a short chuckle. And turned to Leorio and Kurapika. “That’s what you get. If you two keep up with such surly unpleasant attitudes then your not gonna get anywhere in life. And frankly it’s boring. You could both learn something from the boy." He said gesturing towards Gon. He then turned towards the captain and continued.

“It’s not like i care if anyone knows my motives, after all they are quite simple. I want to become stronger. I have no desire right now beyond acquiring strength and power. All the strongest people in the world are hunters and thus this exam is a prime opportunity to meet potential opponents, while at the same time giving me easier access to even more opponents.”

Leorio looked ticked off at Sam. He was probably about to try and start something, but then Kurapika spoke up. 

“I am the last of the Kurta Clan.” He then went into another speech about how his entire clan was killed by the Phantom Troupe. This time Sam didn’t zone out but listened intently. Sam sympathized with Kurapika, after all he was essentially describing the exact reason Sams own homeland was kept hidden from the outside world.

And Sam has heard of the Phantom Troupe. They were easily the most dangerous unlicensed people on the planet. Quiet possibly even the most dangerous people on the planet full stop. 

Even Sam, who actively seeks out incredibly dangerous people, wouldn’t wanna pick a fight with them (at least not yet) Kurapika would have his work cut out for him. Although as Kurapika spoke, Sam could feel his blood-lust. 

Back home they had a legend about a patron god of blood-lust who specialized in revenge. Someone like Kurapika would be an easy target and Sam hoped the legends were no more than legends.

Leorio’s desires were much less exciting, just money. That’s all his motivation was. You can buy anything with money.

“Except class.” Said Kurapika

“That’s the last straw. Step outside, I’ll end the filthy Kurta bloodline right here.” Said Leorio menacingly.

“Leorio take that back!” Shouted Kurapika as they both went out to the top deck.

“Hey get back here! We’re not done yet!” The captain shouted after them.

Sam felt like he was having a stroke. 

“Did I miss something? What the fuck just happened!” Sam said.

“Better let them go. If you really want to know about someone, find out what makes them angry. That’s one of Aunt Mito’s favorite sayings.” Said Gon.

“That’s a very wise view.” Sam Said simply. 

“Something serious is bugging each of them. They need to work it out.” 

“Well we should go out there too. The storm is still going on.” 

The captain Gon and Sam made their way to the main deck. The storm was really picking up again. Sam looked over at Kurapika and Leorio who had each drawn weapons. Sams eye twitched slightly,

“They knew each other for two seconds and now they’re seriously gonna fight to the death in a category five storm?” Sam mumbled under his breath. He was very unimpressed with those two.

Sam ran over to the mast to help the sailors who were trying to raise the sails to half length, so the mast wouldn’t break. The very first thing he did was find a lifeline, the ship didn’t have any so he had to make his own. He found a strong rope and secured it tightly to the ship, then tied the other end around his waist. 

That was when he heard the yell. That sailor boy Katzo was launched across the ship, right in between Leorio and Kurapika. He was headed towards the edge. Sam immediately started charging toward them. 

Leorio and Kurapika both reached for him and missed. And suddenly Gon was leaping off the side of the ship. They were both reaching for him, but Sam could tell he was just beyond their grasp. 

“CHAIN, ILL CATCH YOU.” Sam shouted at the top of his lungs. He just needed one of them to understand him.

They both did. Leorio and Kurapika both leapt off the side of the ship as hard as they could. Sam caught both of their legs (one in each hand). They had caught Gon and Gon had caught Katzo (who had fainted). 

Sam was leaning over the side of the ship, bracing his legs against the railing. He slowly managed to heave all four of them back onto the boat. He laid on his back panting from the exertion. 

Thankfully a few minutes later the storm cleared. 

“That was reckless what were you thinking!” Shouted Kurapika. 

“What if we hadn’t been there to catch you!” Shouted Leorio. Apparently they were scolding Gon. 

“But you did catch me.” Said Gon simply. He completely caught both of them off guard. Sam started laughing. 

“That reminds me, what’s your deal?” Leorio Asked Sam. “You can just lift four people on your own?”

Sam sat up and wordlessly removed his shirt (which he would have to hang up to dry anyway.). Revealing a torso of extremely well toned muscles. Not big or bulgy but very clearly defined and toned. 

Leorio and even Kurapika stared at him in shock. Sam started blushing slightly. Knowing that he didn't really appear to be that strong when he was fully dressed he decided to clarify.

“I wear all my shirts a size large. I like the feel of slightly baggy shirts.” 

“Gon!” Shouted a voice. Katzo has run over. 

“You saved my life! Thank you!” He said bowing his head.

“I couldn’t have done it without them.” Said Gon gesturing over to the rest of the group.

“Yes! Thank you very much”. Said Katzo, Bowing again, but this time in the direction of Kurapika, Leorio and Sam. Leorio and Kurapika both blushed, and Sam just grinned.

“Don’t mention it.” Said Sam. Katzo returned to his duties on the ship.

after a moment Kurapika looked over at Leorio.

“What is it?” Asked Leorio cynically.

“I apologize for my earlier disrespect Leorio.” He said.

Leorio blushed for a second and responded.

“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have insulted your clan like that.”

Gon grew a wide smile on his face. The moment was interrupted by the captain laughing and walking over.

“I like you guys. I’m gonna make it my job to take you to the port nearest the exam site.”

“But what about your test?” Asked Gon.

“Hmm? You all pass or course.” Everybody sat around smiling. Sam has to agree with the captains assessment despite his first impressions of Kurapika and Leorio. They had without hesitation attempted to save Katzo then Gon. And they both immediately understood when Sam shouted his intentions to make a human chain. They also trusted Sam to catch them in the heat of the moment. 

Sam figured that, while Leorio and Kurapika were dramatic and abrasive, they had good hearts. Maybe Sam could get used to this group after all.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hunter Pre-Exam continues. The group must overcome new trials and tests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so 2 things. 
> 
> 1\. Im starting at about 1 episode of the anime = 1 chapter. As the arcs get longer and the story more complex that will obviously change, and the chapters will sort of... Elongate? I guess?
> 
> 2\. Im gonna do this thing where the characters will sometimes play music or sing songs. These will most likely be inspired by specific videos ive seen on Youtube. So at the end of the chapters ill post the link to the Youtube video.

Sam gathered his backpack and his banjo case and joined Leorio and Kurapika who were standing in front of a map trying to make sense of where they were. It seemed they weren't too terribly far from the exam site in Zaban city, they could probably just hop a bus to get there. At least that’s what they were thinking before Gon suddenly walked up and told them about an inside tip he got from the captain.

The tip involved heading towards a house by a tree on some hill, almost he opposite direction of where the exam was supposed to be taking place. Gon just sort of left to go pursue this lead.

Sam only found it the slightest bit odd how quickly Gon was willing to separate, after all when he found cool people, he liked to be around them. This might be the reason he followed Gon. Well that and he would have to be a fool to not trust a tip from the ships captain. The man was an examiner and was directly involved with setting up the Exam. 

Kurapika decided to go with Gon more because he seemed intrigued by Gon’s personality. Leorio said he was just gonna take the bus, but a few minutes later he caught up to us babbling about how they would “miss him”. Or something.

They walked for several hours before they found what seemed like an abandoned village. Of course Sam could sense all the people nearby. Thankfully they didn’t remain in hiding for very long.

A group of them rushed out with a mobile.... well... stage. (Much to Sams perplexity.). There was one old lady sitting at the center of the stage and everyone else was in costume. Suddenly she shouted,

“EXCITING TWO CHOICE QUIZ!”. Sam looked over at his companions and was a bit relieved to see they were all as confused as he was. 

The lady went on to elaborate the rules which were thankfully very simple. She would ask a question and present two options as the answer. No other answers would be accepted and would result in disqualification. And apparently the four of them combined would only get one question. we were standing around wondering how to go about doing this when another guy came out of the shadows.

Sam knew this guy was following them. He suspected Kurapika and maybe Gon knew as well, Sam just didn’t care. Any-who, this guy offered to go first to give us an idea what kind of question she would ask. We all agreed.

She asked her question. “Your mother and your lover have each been kidnapped. You can only save one. Who do you save?”

Sam quickly understood what she was doing and how to pass. But there was no way he could tell the others without the old lady noticing.

“My mother.” Answered the stranger. 

“explain”. Said the lady.

“You can have many lovers, but you can only have one mother.”

“You may pass.” 

The others were surprised. 

“Don’t worry guys, you just have to tell her what she wants to hear”. The stranger said.

“But if a different person asked the question they would expect a different answer. There is no right answer.” Shouted Leorio.

Sam saw Kurapika’s eyes light up.

“Leorio,”. He started.

“You there!” Shouted the old lady. “No more from you. If anything comes out of your mouth besides the answer, you will be disqualified.”

Kurapika stopped talking immediately. Sam was relieved that Kurapika figured it out.

“Your question is. Your son and daughter have both been kidnapped. You can only save one. Which do you save? You have ten seconds to answer.”

She began counting down from 10. Sam remained silent, but he was worried about Leorio. He was clearly pissed, and had walked over to a pile of sticks. Sam watched as he picked up a stick and gave it a few test swings. Sam silently hoped he didn’t do anything rash. 

“Three, two, one. Times up.” Said the lady. 

Leorio leapt to attack her with the stick in a rage. Thankfully Kurapika blocked it. Sam wasn’t surprised when they yelled at each other a bit. Once Leorio calmed down a little, Kurapika explained it to him. Silence was the correct answer.

He apologized for attacking the lady when the mood was interrupted by Gon,

“I just can’t figure it out.” 

“Haha you can stop now the quiz is over.” Said Leorio

“I know. But what if so find myself in a position like that someday?” 

Sam chuckled under his breath. That’s probably what the point of this quiz was, to get people to think. 

The lady opened a passage revealing the correct path to take. And the group set off once again. 

***

It was only a few minutes before Gon spoke.

“Hey Sam.”

“Hmm?” Sam responded.

“I just realized that ever since we started that quiz you haven’t said anything.” Said Gon.

“You must have also figured it out before I did.” Added Kurapika

“Partly,”. Sam started, “ but also my real answer wouldn’t have been accepted.”

“What was your answer?” Asked Gon.

“Both.”

“Huh? But the question said we could only save one.” Said Leorio confused.

“The implication being that you had to rescue them on your own. The problem a lot of people have is that they try to do things on their own. But why make things harder for yourself? If there is something you cannot accomplish alone, then there is no shame in asking for help. In the case of our question the obvious answer is Gon and Kurapika go save one person, Leorio and I go save the other.”

All three of them stopped in their tracks and Sam turned to look at them.

“I’ve actually been in similar situations before, and the end result is that we save everybody because I don’t try to deal with it on my own. I had a very large group of friends who would help and support me. Besides that I’m also stubborn.”

Same expression turned very serious. 

“I would sooner burn down entire mountains, before I allowed someone precious to me to die.”

Sam turned and began walking again. Gon started following. Leorio and Kurapika exchanged a glance before continuing. 

*****

They had been walking for another couple hours before Gon spoke up again.

“Sam?”

“Hmm?” Sam chuckled internally at the curious nature of the young boy. 

“I've been meaning to ask you. What’s in your case?”

“Oh, this?” He slung his banjo case off of his shoulder and popped it open. 

“Just a banjo.” He said.

“You know how to play?” Asked Gon excitedly.

“Oh yea,”. Sam began tuning his instrument, “ I know how to play a lot of different instruments actually.” Sam shut the case and lifted it back on his shoulder. He then began walking again and strumming a little travel tune.

“Your quite full of surprises.” Said Kurapika. 

“In my country, we believe that music is the voice of the soul. Everybody learns to play some kind of instrument. We hold music in very high regard.” Responded Sam.

And with that the group walked on for awhile in silence just enjoying Sams music.

*****

The sun had already set by the time they made it to the shack on top of the “hill” (Sam thought it was bordering on being a mountain at this point.)

While Leorio and Kurapika were busy arguing, Sam walked up to the shack, but noticed the door was slightly ajar. He snapped his fingers getting the attention of the other three.

“Be on your guard.” He said quietly. 

Then he opened the door. He saw before him, a strange creature. It vaguely resembles a rabbit, but it was much taller than a human. And it had a young woman in its arms. There was also an injured man on the floor. 

The creature turned and saw them. Sam looked into its eyes and had a hard time figuring out what he saw.

“That’s a Kiriko, a highly intelligent magical beast.” Said Kurapika.

Before anything else could be said, Sam rushed the creature. The creature seemed genuinely surprised, and only barely managed to duck under Sam’s fist.

The creature then leapt out the window still carrying the girl. Without hesitation Sam chased after it. Gon followed behind him, and Sam just had time to hear Kurapika tell Leorio to stay with injured man.

Gon began pursuing through the treetops, overtaking Sam and catching up to the creature in the process. 

“Let her go!” He Shouted.

“Why don't you make me!” The creature shouted back. Gon was so stunned that he accidentally hit a tree branch and fell back down to the ground. He quickly got up and matched pace with Kurapika and Sam. 

“It can talk!” Said Gon yeah.

“Yeah, like I said it’s very intelligent.” Replied Kurapika.

“That makes this a lot easier.” Gon quickly jumped back into the trees. And shouted,

“Hey stupid ugly monster!”

The creature had time to let out an indignant “What”. And turned. 

That’s when Gon thunked him in the head with his fishing pole. The creature dropped the girl and Sam rushed to catch her, and gently laid her on the road. 

The creature rushed off into the woods and Gon quickly followed it. Kurapika caught up and they began examine to see if the girl had any wounds. 

“Huh, these tattoos,”. Said Kurapika while he was examining her wrist. 

Suddenly Leorio came strolling down. 

“Leorio! What about the injured man?” Said Kurapika.

“Yea he’s fine, I patched him up.”

Out of nowhere Kurapika attacked Leorio, He smacked Leorio in the face with his weapon.

“What gave me away?” Asked Leorio menacingly. 

“Nothing. I told Leorio to look after the injured man and he agreed. I attacked him for leaving the injured man alone.” Responded Kurapika. 

Before their eyes Leorio transformed back into a Kiriko. Now that Sam had seen the ability firsthand, he had to admit. Looked like it was pretty handy. 

The Kiriko laughed and took off.

“Oh no you don’t!” Shouted Sam who immediately took off after it. 

Sam chased after it for several minutes, managing to keep pace. Eventually he lost sight of it and emerged into a clearing. He heard a loud thump behind him and turned to see the Kiriko behind him. 

“You shouldn’t have followed me. Your not much of a threat on your own.” The beast said.

“Maybe I’m stronger than you think.” Sam Replied. They began circling each other.

“You certainly confident.”

“I simply know what I’m capable of. But it doesn’t matter though, your not going to kill me.”

“Oh? And how would you know that?” 

“Because this is a test.”

The Kiriko stopped moving and stood there in stunned silence.

“H-how could you possible know that?” It Asked.

“There are many reasons for a magical beast to attack a persons place of residence. Starvation, Desperation, Hatred, Blood-lust etc. I have seen all these things in other creatures and even people. Your eyes give you away, they do not reflect any malice whatsoever.”

“B-but.” The Kiriko stammered, but Sam continued.

“From then on its just a matter of deduction. If you weren’t gonna kill me, then there’s a very good chance you weren’t gonna kill your hostage. Why wouldn’t you kill your hostage? Most likely because she was in on it. By extension her husband would also be in it. Why would anyone go on to set up such a farce is the next question.”

“W-well”. The Kiriko tried to interject.

“The most logical answer would be that this was a test of the hunter exam. The exam has already thrown curve-balls at my group and I have learned to expect the unexpected.” Sam finally finished.

“Impressive.” Grinned the Kiriko.

Suddenly out of the forest Sam heard somebody yell,

“Honey come here! You gotta see this.”

*****

About twenty minutes later everybody was gathered in front of the shack. Apparently there was another Kiriko and the couple that was “attacked” were also both Kiriko. Essentially they revealed that this whole setup was indeed a test, and that they were the navigators who take people to the exam site. They were a family, the two Kiriko were the parents and the fake couple were their children. And somehow Gon could tell the two parents apart. Leorio, Kurapika and even Sam were lost as to how he managed. Sam at the most could hear the smallest smallest difference in their voices, but to Gon it was clear as day.

And now they were going to talk the group whether or not they passed.

The daughter spoke first giving her appraisal of Kurapika,

“Kurapika. You used only the vaguest of clues to figure out that I was lying. These tattoos in this region mark a woman as single for life,” she said, wiping the fake tattoo from her forearm. “You’ve demonstrated that you are very knowledgeable, and you pass.”

Kurapika smiled and Gon gave him a fist bump.

The Son spoke up now appraising Leorio,

“Leorio you never realized that I was lying, but you treated my wounds faster and more calmly than any doctor. Your kindness makes you worthy to take the Hunter exam. You pass!”

Leorio blushed slightly and also got a fist bump from Gon.

The Mother began her appraisal of Sam,

“Sam. You’ve demonstrated a very quick reaction to the situation and an uncanny ability to read people. You also were the first to independently figure out not only that we weren’t being truthful, but that this was specifically a hunter exam test. Your intelligence and Instinct are both valuable qualities. You pass.”

Sam grinned and returned Gon's fist-bump.

and finally the Father appraised Gon,

“And lastly Gon. You superhuman reflexes and agility are very impressive, but even more so are your abilities of perception. Nobody has been able to tell me and my husband apart for a very long time. You pass!”

There was one more round of fist bumps while Gon smiles brightly.

“Alright were gonna take you to the exam sight. Everybody hold on.” As the two children shape-shifted into Kiriko, they all grew wings. 

Each Kiriko grabbed a person and flew the group towards Zaban City and the site of the Hunter Exam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so when i picture Sam playing a little travel tune on his banjo, this is the sound i imagine him playing.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upvECtBswg0&index=12&list=LLayLllZ3NRQSbX2a9i87ryg&t=0s


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang travels to the exam site and meet some of the other Examinees

The Kiriko navigator led the four of them through Zaban City. Gon was fascinated with every little vendor booth they passed. Sam just hoped he didn’t buy anything, this place was a bit sketchy. 

The exam site was the small little restaurant, which surprised Leorio and Kurapika. Both of them thought it was the massive skyscraper right next door. Honestly Sam wasn’t surprised, he was starting to get used to all these abnormal things the exam was throwing at him. If anything he figured that the placement was intentional, to weed out more people by having them falsely believe that the skyscraper was the exam site.

The navigator led them inside.

“Hey is the back room open?” He asked. The cook looked over and said,

“Sure what’ll ya have?”

“The steak combo for four.”

“Four huh? How do you want them?”

“Grilled over a low flame.”

“Mhm. Head on back, we’ll have it for you as soon as we can.”

The navigator led them to a small room with a table in the back of the restaurant. They said some short goodbyes.

“I would be happy to serve as your navigator next year as well.” He said, then closed the door and left the four of them alone. 

“Bastard, That means he expects us to fail this year.” Muttered Leorio under his breath.

Sam actually laughed at this, 

“That’s a good point. I didn’t realize the implications of what he said.” Sam said still chuckling.

“I can’t wait to try the steak combo!” Said Gon.

“That was just code to get us inside.” Said Kurapika.

“Really?” Asked Gon.

“It is kind of a shame,”. Said Sam, who was getting some stuff out of his backpack. “A steak combo sounds fuckin delicious right about now.”

Sam began pulling some beef jerky out of his pack. Gon perked up (he probably had smelled it). 

“You have food?” He asked.

“Of course. Jerky is a damn good travel ration. It has an astonishingly long shelf life and is full of protein. Plus it’s good for someone like me who loves meaty foods. Actually I’ve also got some taffy.” Said Sam digging into his backpack again.

“Really!!” 

“Oh yea, it’s special homemade, from my country. Something sweet to remind me of home you know?”

“Can I have one?” 

“Sure.” Sam tossed a piece of taffy to Gon. Who ate it eagerly, and let out a beaming grin.

“Its good!” 

Sam smiled and just leaned back in a chair. Eventually the entire room lurched and began descending, apparently it was an elevator. Sam closed his eyes as Kurapika and Leorio got into an argument about the merits of being a Hunter. 

They both turned and asked Gon what he thought. Sam was about to jump and tell the two of them how they need to chill out and smoke a WHOLE lotta weed (hell he even had a vape pen in his backpack). Luckily he and Gon were both saved when the room once again lurched and the wall opened.

They were suddenly in a huge underground tunnel. Where a small gentleman gave each of them a badge with a number. Sam was number 406.

“I’ve got a friend who should be here, I’m gonna go see if I can find him.” Said Sam.

“Alright we’ll catch up with you later!” Said Gon. Sam smiled and gave Gon a fist-bump. 

Sam began wandering through the crowd, looking for his friend. Of course he was also taking the time to scan the people and see how many people seemed dangerous. It only took about 5 minutes for him to realize that his friend wasn’t here yet. 

Sam was worried. After all time was running a bit short. He walked back over to the entrance and kept watch. People were still slowly trickling in. 410, 411, 412. 

Eventually he noticed his Gon and friends talking to an unknown person. The man was offering them juice, but the look in his eyes was full of hidden malice. No doubt the juice was tampered with in some way. 

Sam began to walk over and get involved when Gon took a sip and immediately spit all the juice out. Sam raised an eyebrow and continued walking over. He just managed to hear Gon say something about growing up eating a lot of wild plants and how he could usually tell when stuff goes bad. 

They finally noticed Sam walking up and Gon said. 

“Hey Sam! Did you find your friend?”

“No he doesn’t seem to be here yet.” Sam Replied. 

“Oh that’s a shame.” Said the stranger.

“Who are you?” Sam Replied, not really bothering to hide his disdain. 

“Oh Sam, this is Tonpa.” Said Gon.

“Well, Tonpa. Save your condolences, my friend will definitely show up, there’s still time.” Not once during this interaction, did Sam ever smile. Nor did he ever break eye contact with Tonpa.

“R-right.” Said Tonpa.

“Tonpa was just telling us about some of the other applicants.” Said Gon. “He’s taken the exam more than 30 times, so he knows a lot.”

“Is that so?” Sam narrowed his eyes at Tonpa.

Suddenly they heard a screaming sound and looked over at a very strange sight. A man was on the ground with his arms dissolving into flower petals, and a clown was standing over him. He seemed to be responsible.

“That’s Hisoka. He failed the exam last year for almost killing an examiner. You better stay away from him.” Said Tonpa, the malice in his eyes replaced by fear and unease. 

When Sam looked in Hisoka’s eyes...... he would find it hard to describe what he saw. Not necessarily malice, more like apathy. As if nothing in the world mattered but him. This indifference gave rise to cruelty. Judging by how nonchalantly he cut some strangers arms off, Hisoka would not hesitate to kill people on a whim. In fact Sam would argue that this is what he lived for. 

Sam knew this. By the laws of his country, Hisoka would HAVE to die someday. But right now Sam could tell, he was not strong enough. 

For now he would simply alert the grapevine to monitor Hisoka’s movements.

His thoughts were interrupted when a hand clapped his back with tremendous strength. He stumbled forward a little bit before dusting himself off. Grinning he turned and saw his best friend Wodin.

“Yo.” Said Wodin. Wodin was about 6 feet tall and very muscular. The sides of his head were shaved and the top of his head grew long dirty blond hair, that was tied in a northern braid that extended down to the small of his back. He had a full face beard that was very trim and well kept, except for his chin which was also braided and fell down to the center of his chest. He wore black suit pants with a royal purple button down shirt tucked in. Over the shirt he wore a buttoned up vest that was black with silver floral patterns over it. He had one small golden hoop earring in each ear and wore a pair of black brogues.

Sam always envied that Wodin could grow that much facial hair at 18 (after all, Sam was the same age and all he had were his scraggly chin pubes). 

“Cutting it a little close don’t ya think!” Said Sam.

“Hey I made it didn’t I?” Replied Wodin. Holding up his badge, the numbers 420 written on it.

“But I got here first, which means I win the bet.” Sam smirked.

“Looks like you had a little help though.” 

“You don't get to cancel the bet just cause I’m more charismatic than you.” Sam said giving Wodin a playful shove. 

“Wodin, this is Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio. Guys this is my childhood friend Wodin.” Sam continued.

They all introduced themselves when suddenly there was a loud ringing noise interrupted the room. All eyes turned to a man hold an alarm clock. He introduced himself as Statotz, an examiner, and then asked us to follow him.

“Heh, maybe I WAS cutting it a little close.” Muttered Wodin as they all began walking. 

Wodin matched Sams pace and they began to talk. 

“So tell me about these new friends of yours.” He said.

“Leorio is pretty open and shut. He wants to be a hunter for money.”

“With eyes like that?” Asked Wodin surprised.

“You saw it too huh. His eyes brimming, overflowing with kindness and compassion. My best guess is there’s a reason he doesn’t wanna talk about. I haven’t really pushed issue.”

“Fair enough. What about Kurapika?”

“You remember the rumors about what happened to the Kurta?” The information network in their country was phenomenal, so they knew all about what happened to the Kurta.

“Yea.”

“He’s the last one. He seeks revenge against the Phantom Troupe, and to recover his brethren’s eyes.”

“And what do you think about this.”

“His eyes..... well, lets just say I’m surprised he hasn’t had a visit from Zangremar yet.” Sam was referring to Zangremar, the god of blood and vengeance in his country. Not a being you want to be involved with.

“I’m not surprised, he’s gone through a lot of pain. More than anyone ought to in one lifetime. What about Gon.”

“That kid is the most fascinating one of the bunch. He’s looking for his dad, who dumped him with his aunt, but he bears no ill will, only curiosity.” Something in his voice gave him away because Wodin asked him,

“You make it sound like there’s a catch.”

“Gon’s last name is Freecs.” Said Sam. Wodin actually stopped for a second in his shock. He jogged a little to catch up to Sam.

“Freecs? As in Ging Freecs?” He asked. The name Ging Freecs was well known in his country. He had accomplished some miraculous things.

“Definitely. It’s not just the name, it’s in the kids hair and eyes. I even see Ging in his personality.”

“I didn’t know he had a kid.”

“Nobody did.”

“.....and he abandoned Gon?”

“Seems like it.” 

There was a heavy silence that followed. The implications hanging over both their heads.

“I think I’d like to stay with Gon at least for a little while. I wanna know how far down this rabbit hole goes.”

“I agree, if Ging has changed then we need to know. We need to decide whether to act on it or not.”

Neither of them noticed that the entire time they had been talking the pace had sped up. Everybody was now jogging. 

“I am Statotz, it is my job to guide you to the site of the exams second phase.” Said the examiner.

“What about the first phase?” Someone asked. 

“It has already begun. Your task is to follow me to the second phase.”

Wodin and Sam put aside their thoughts for now. These were all problems that could be solved at a later date. For now the Hunter Exam needed their full attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it possible to write in Italics on this website? I don't like capitalizing the entire word for emphasis, I much prefer Italics.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first phase of the exam has begun.

Sam had figured out why the first phase of the hunter exam was dangerous. Running was obviously the first part. The second part was time. While running time seemed to move very slowly. One could feel like hours have gone by and only five minutes have passed. The third part was distance. Normally having an end goal would make it a little easier, but no one had any idea how far they had to go. 

Sams conclusion was that running sucked. And as he ran along panting his friend Wodin turned to him and said with a chuckle.

“Aw don’t go passing out on me in the first phase.” 

“Even back home I hated all the running shit.” Sam Replied between breaths, “I’m much better at fighting. At least you feel adrenaline in a fight.”

“Bet you wish you’d tried harder, it’s biting you in the ass now.”

“Oh yea, I totally wish I’d spent more time running.” The fact that Sam could still be sarcastic was a feat in and of itself.

“You need to distract your brain man. And stop thinking about it. Want me to tell you a story?”

“That’s no good. I know all your stories.” At this response Wodin laughed.

“Well let’s go find your new friends.”

“Good idea. They are CERTAINLY distracting people.” 

They picked up their pace slightly to catch up with Gon Kurapika and Leorio. Apparently Gon has made a new friend cause he was running alongside another young boy. Nobody introduced him to Sam, though he didn’t mind. Everybody was focused on the exam. He could introduce himself when this phase was over. Sam was especially distracted when he noticed he was starting to ascend.

“Not fucking stairs, God dammit.” He cried in despair. 

“Hang in there buddy. Stairs are a good sign. There’s probably a checkpoint coming up soon.” Said Wodin.

“This ain’t a video game dude.”

“I can’t help that’s it’s the only language you understand.”

Meanwhile Kurapika has started interrogating Leorio as to his real reasons for becoming a hunter. Eventually Leorio finally admitted that his best friend had died of a curable disease, but had a very expensive operation to cure it. Leorio was gonna become a hunter and use the money to go to med school and become a doctor, so that he could cure diseases for free. 

In spite of the running Sam smiled. He was definitely liking Leorio more and more. He was a genuinely good person who cared about people, he was just bad at first impressions is all. 

After awhile they began to see sunlight. Gon and his new friend raced to the top ahead of the rest of them. They were the first two to reach the end of the tunnel behind the examiner. Sam was the third having achieved a second wind out of sheer desperation having seen the end. Wodin followed behind followed by the trickle of people until a massive metal door sealed the tunnel behind them. Sam took the brief respite to walk over to Gon. 

“Hey Gon. Hanging in there?” He asked.

“Yea, it’s not too tough so far.” Responded Gon.

“It’s easy.” Said the other boy.

“Oh that reminds me.” Said Gon. “Sam this is Killua.” 

“Pleasure to meet ya.” Sam said.

“Mmm”. Is all the boy said. Sam raised one eyebrow and was about to ask if he was being challenged to a Smart-Ass contest when Statotz asked for everyone’s attention. 

The examiner Statotz revealed they were in the Numere Wetlands. A swamp that’s entire ecology was based on deceit. Sam was distressed to learn they weren’t done running, but that thought was pushed from his mind when a stranger revealed themselves.

They came out of the fog and said something along the lines of

“That examiner is a fake. I'm the real examiner. He is a monkey who impersonates people.” Even going so far as to bring out the corpse of a “man faced ape”. Which had the same face as Statotz. 

Sam found the whole scenario ridiculous. One look in this newcomers eyes revealed he malice and hunger behind them. Sam didn’t say anything though. This was an exam and if people couldn’t tell who the real examiner was...... well that was part of the test. He was only moderately surprised when Hisoka attacked both Statotz and the newcomer. 

He claimed that “any real hunter could’ve blocked that attack.” Sam had to admit it was clever, but it also disturbed him. It meant the sociopath was also intelligent. Statotz resumed his march. And everyone resumed chasing after him only this time through swampland. 

The second half of a phase one was to survive through a swamp that was constantly trying to deceive you. And also to make it to the site of the second phase within a certain amount of time. 

Sam (who hates running in the first place) was not looking forward to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right now i'm doing about 1 episode of the anime = 1 chapter of my fiction. That being said the chapters are gonna be shorter until I implement my original content which wont be for a little while. I also don't want to rewrite every scene and piece of dialogue word for word from the anime. I'm under the assumption that if your reading this then you've seen/read HxH at some point. No one wants to see me rewrite all the content that already exists and i don't wanna put in that much work. It would also be leaning a little to close to plagiarism for my taste if all i did was rewrite every little thing.
> 
>  
> 
> TLDR: The point is the chapters are gonna start shorter and get longer as we go on.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I SOMEHOW DIDNT POST THIS IN ORDER FORGIVE ME.
> 
> The aftermath of the fight with Hisoka.

Much to Sams dismay,  the running resumed. This time through fog and (god help him) marshland.  On top of that was the ecosystem.    

 

There were poisonous butterflies that knocked people unconscious.   There were crows that mimicked human voices perfectly, leading people to their deaths.  The most gruesome thing he'd seen was the mushroom that expunged spores when you stepped on it.  Several people fell, their lungs full of quickly growing fungus.  

 

It was all very distracting until he heard Gon yell from up ahead.

 

“Leorio, Kurapika, Sam.  Killua says we should move up.”

 

Sam took a moment to examine the surroundings while Leorio yelled back.   There was a tension in the air, that was palpable.

 

Sam tapped on Wodin’s shoulder and motioned toward Hisoka.      Wodin nodded his head, something was about to go down.  

 

After a few more minutes of running, some strange things started happening.  The figures of people in the fog ahead..... well their heads started falling off.  Sam saw out of the looming fog,  the figures were not people at all.   There were strange scarecrow reminiscent plants, growing on the shells of giant carnivorous turtles.    He pulled his two short swords out of their sheaths.  Next to him Wodin pulled out a war-hammer.

 

“I didn't know you'd been given the hammer.”  Sam said casually.

 

“It only just happened before I left home.  Hadn't got around to telling you yet.”  Responded Wodin.  As the beast loomed above them Sam said,

 

“I’ll try not to take that personally.”  Wodin spun, swinging his hammer in a 360 degree arc around his body.  At the same time Sam jumped.  Sam landed on the hammer as Wodin was swinging it,  the momentum propelled him forward.    He flew toward the creature and stabbed his swords right into its neck.   The creature fell,  slowly bleeding out.  

 

Another one tried to snap at Wodin,  who dodged out of the way and slammed his hammer atop the beasts head.  It crushed the creatures skull, killing it instantly.

 

Sam rode his turtles flailing neck, crashing into the ground.  He yanked his swords out of the beasts neck.    Thankfully those two seemed to be the only creatures near them.   

 

The two of them ran, skirting around the edge of the rest of the creatures (who were occupied by the rest of the applicants.)    And ran.  

 

Eventually they emerged into a small clearing in the fog.  Standing there was Hisoka, who was surrounded by other applicants.  

 

Sam wasn’t close enough to hear what they were saying, but he sort of got the gist of what was going on.  Especially when Hisoka made one swift motion with his arm.   All the people around him fell, their throats slit.  

 

Sam was liking Hisoka less and less.  He was about to say something to Wodin when he saw two figures emerge and his heart stopped.

 

Kurapika and Leorio were standing there face to face with Hisoka.  Sam tensed, ready to attack if Hisoka tried anything.  Thankfully Kurapika and Leorio both took off running in different directions.  Sam said a silent prayer of thanks that they were smart enough not to get involved.

 

A prayer he quickly took back when he Leorio walking back toward Hisoka obviously intending to fight.   

 

“What the fuck is he doing!”   Sam hissed under his breath.  

 

Leorio took a swing at Hisoka with a log he picked up.  Hisoka dodged and began reaching for Leorio. 

 

Sam stood up but before he could do anything, something hit Hisoka in the face.  Hisoka turned his head, and Sam followed his line of sight to see none other than...

 

“Gon!”   Sam sort of whisper shouted.  He began grinding his teeth.  These new friends were going to be the death of him.   

 

“Wodin, arms out.  We wait for the opportune moment, and kill him with one strike.  Unless there's an emergency.”

 

Wodin prepared his hammer.   Sam unsheathed his swords,  slowly as to make as little noise as possible.  

 

Leorio attacked Hisoka again,  but Hisoka knocked him unconscious with just one punch. 

 

Gon and Hisoka fought for a little while, but it was clear that Gon was outmatched.   Hisoka was just playing with him.    Gon kept attacking but Hisoka kept dodging, as slippery as the fog that encapsulated them.  

 

Gon jumped but Hisoka caught him by the neck.  Hisoka was choking out Gon.  Wodin watched Sam’s hair raise up like a cat.   Without a word Sam began charging toward Hisoka and Wodin silently began making his way around the clearing.

 

Sam saw how much Gon was struggling.   He was too far away,  Gon would be dead by the time they go over there.  So Sam threw one of his swords with all his might in the hopes that it would hit one of Hisoka's vital spots.

 

The blade never made contact, Hisoka must have felt Sam’s blood-lust and dodged out of the way.    But he did drop Gon which was the main goal.  It also distracted him, allowing Sam to close the distance. 

 

Sam began a flurry of viscous swipes, not giving Hisoka the chance to do anything but dodge.   He pushed Hisoka back several feet,  back into where Wodin was waiting.  

 

Wodin was standing behind Hisoka and swung his hammer down in a mighty arc.   Hisoka caught on at the last second and managed to worm out of the way and he disappeared into the fog.  

 

As soon as they lost sight of Hisoka, Wodin ran over to Gon to stand guard.   And Sam rushed over to his second sword, which was stuck in a tree.   Once Sam had both his swords again, he stood completely still,  trying to ascertain Hisoka’s location.   

 

Gon took the time to stand and recover his fishing rod.  He stood with his back to Wodin.  Sam slowly inched his way over to the two of them and they all stood facing out.  

 

“Alright Gon.”  Sam said,  “no heroics.  If possible I want you to escape with Leorio.  Me and Wodin can take care of him.”

 

“But I cant leave you!”  Gon shouted back.

 

“Tough shit, i'm not giving you a choice here.  This just became a battlefield,  and I outrank you.”

 

“.....well what if he doesn't give me a choice either?”

 

Sam would've rubbed his eyes in frustration if he wasn't holding a sharp weapon.   This kid was stubborn.  

 

“If you have no choice but to fight, then don't do anything on your own.  We take him down as a team.”

 

Gon nodded.  

 

“This is all very unnecessary.”  Said Hisoka.  They heard his voice before they saw him.  Calmly walking out of the mist.   All three of them quickly turned toward Hisoka weapons at the ready.

 

“Don't worry i'm not going to kill you now.   You all passed.”   Wodin and Sam shared a glance, and Gon just looked a little confused but still tense.  

 

“Incidentally, he passed too.”  He said pointing over to Leorio.   Before any of them knew it, Hisoka was lifting Leorio on his shoulders.

 

“I'll take him.  You can find your way back on your own yes?”   He asked.

 

Gon simply nodded.  Hisoka walked off, disappearing into the fog.  Sam stepped forward as if to chase him, but Wodin put a hand on his shoulder.

 

“We can't beat him yet.”  He sullenly said.

 

“...yea...your right.”  Replied Sam.   He sheathed his blades as Kurapika came running over.  

 

“Gon!”  They shouted.

 

“Oh that reminds me.”  Said Sam.  He kneeled down till he was eye level with Gon.  

 

“Are you OK?”  Sam asked.  

 

“Yea.”  Gon replied.

 

“No injuries?  Cuts or broken bones?”

 

“No.”

 

Sam was relieved that Gon wasn’t seriously hurt.  But that led him to his next question.  

 

“I don't think you ever mentioned.  How old are you?”

 

“Almost 12.” 

 

Sam inwardly cringed, and he could feel Wodin have a similar reaction behind him.  This kid was way too young to be mixed up in anything like this.  

 

“Well,” Wodin interjected,  “how do we get back to the examiner?”

 

“Um well... I can follow the scent.”  Said Gon.

 

“What scent?”  Asked Wodin surprised.

 

“Leorio has a very distinct cologne.”

 

Sam began laughing before he said 

 

“By all means lead the way.”

 

They had been running for a few minutes when Gon asked Kurapika.

 

“What did Hisoka mean when he said I passed?”

 

“It seems like Hisoka wants to fight worthy opponents.  He was judging whether you might be a challenge to him one day, and you must have met his standards.”  

 

Sam and Wodin shared a glance.  The fact that this young kid was on Hisoka’s radar now, was not a comforting thought.

 

“That's the first time I've been in a situation like that.  I was scared, but... i was also kind of excited.”

 

They didn't speak again until they reached their destination.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ITS THE COOKING EPISODE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN

Sam never thought he would be thankful for somebody else’s cologne. But since Gon was able to sniff out Leorio’s cologne, they managed to get to the site of the second phase of the Hunter Exam. (It really was beginning to occur to Sam how strange this all was.). They were in front of a wall and a massive set of double doors.

Sam felt a shiver go down his spine. Ho looked over and saw Hisoka staring at them. He just silently pointed. Sam followed where he was pointing and saw Leorio leaned up against a tree.

They rushed over to him. He seemed to have forgotten everything (Hisoka had one nasty punch.). Kurapika and Gon decided not to tell him about Hisoka, and Sam agreed.

“Attention please!” Shouted a voice. It was Statotz the examiner.

“This is the site of the exams second phase. This is where i must leave you all. Congratulations on passing the first phase. And best of luck for the rest of the exam.” And with that he walked off into the wetlands with that unusual gait of his.

“You alright?” Asked Wodin.

“What do you mean?” Responded Sam.

“You haven't gotten to your knees and thanked the gods that we are done running yet.” Joked Wodin.

Sam chuckled a little before he responded,

“I guess I'm still on edge.”

Wodin’s face darkened. He looked down at the ground.

“Yea me too.”

“We couldn't even land a hit. Us of all people.”

“Then I guess we need to get stronger.”

“Ha. Try to keep up.” Sam smiled as he and Wodin fist bumped.

Suddenly the giant double doors began opening. They all walked through the doorways and found themselves in a field with what looked like a bunch of cooking equipment all over the place.

“Hello!” Shouted a voice. Everyone turned to the voice. Up on top of a large staircase, there was a red sofa and small table,. Two people were sitting on the sofa. one was a woman with cyan colored hair in 5 different braids that wound up looking a bit like a starfish. The other was a very large man, wearing a bright yellow shirt. The woman spoke up again.

“We are the examiners for the second phase.” She said.

“I'm Buhara” introduced the man.

“And my name is Menchi. Here are the rules for the second phase. Each of us will ask you to cook a dish. You will judged on presentation and taste. If either of us disapprove of your dish then you will be disqualified.”  
“Cooking?” Asked one of the contestants. Sam remembered it was Todo the wrestler.

“That's right! We are Gourmet Hunters.” Replied Menchi.

Without warning. Todo and many other applicants, began laughing. Sam saw Menchi start glaring.

“Whatever. Just give us our first dish so we can pass already.” Said Todo.

Sam could not believe how stupid these people were. They were pissing off the the examiner of all people!? The one who literally decides wether you pass or not! Sam had already determined that they were definitely not going to pass, but oh well. If they wanted to shoot themselves in the foot, that was their problem.

Still, where Sam comes from cooks are treated with great respect, so it was taking all his willpower not to thump this guy.

Menchi gave an audible humph when she sat back down. Then Buhara spoke up.

“You’ll be cooking for me first. Your dish is pork, you can use any type of pork you find.”

With that all the contestants ran out of the testing area to go find pig to hunt.

Apparently the only wild pigs in this area were carnivorous with extremely large and hard noses designed for breaking bones when they charge. Killing one was a little tricky but every contestant managed to bring back a pig. Every single applicant began roasting it. Looked through his work station, and took a moment to lament that he didn't have more ingredients (he didn't really want to do what everyone else was doing) before he began roasting his.

He presented his dish to Buhara who ate the whole thing and said he passed (though apparently so did every other contestant). Sam got the feeling that Buhara wasn't too picky about his tastes. Once everyone had presented their pork, Buhara proclaimed his part done. Then Menchi spoke up.

“Now you’ll be making my favorite dish. Sushi! Begin.” That was all she said. Sam thought it was actually really clever, sushi was not a well known dish. Most of the contestants hadn't heard of it before. Sam and Wodin at least knew what it was, but the methods of cooking it has not yet reached the shores of their homeland. All Sam knew was what it was supposed to look like (even then it was only the vaguest sense) and that the main ingredient was raw fish.

Sam wasn't sure how that was safe to eat. It obviously was (i mean hell he'd eaten some on a trip once), but Sam wasn't sure how to make it safe. To eliminate risk of food-borne illness, you have to cook things, but sushi is raw. Sam was missing something, he didn't wanna risk accidentally poisoning Menchi just to pass the exam. but suddenly he remembered something.

Sam nudged Wodin (who was clearly lost in the same predicament) and said,

“I've got an idea.” Meanwhile the other contestants had on their own figured out that fish was an ingredient and had all gone out to catch fish. Sam and Wodin didn’t concern themselves with that however, they were Hunting for other ingredients.

It didn’t take long for everyone to come back with their fish. People started preparing what they thought sushi was, and this was going dramatically differently from the first round. Every single person was failing. Menchi hadn’t even tasted one of their dishes yet, since they all got it so dramatically wrong.

Sam had to admit he was a little sad. The risk he was taking he would probably fail. And based on what his friends were making they would probably fail. But again, he would rather they fail, and he himself fail, than accidentally give Menchi a food-borne illness. He would take them to a sushi bar when this was over so they could see how to do it properly.

“Huh, you don't have any fish?” Gon asked. Sam jumped a little, as he was deep in his own thoughts. But then he smiled and said,

“No, i'm not gonna use fish.”

Killua heard and walked over

“Then what are you doing?” He asked.

“Taking a risk.” Responded Sam. Gon and Killua both looked confused, but it didn't last long. Each of them had to go and present their dishes. And unfortunately they all failed.

It was with a sort of quiet resignation that Sam and Wodin went up and presented their dishes to Menchi.

“Hmm whats this?” She asked, a little confused. “You didn't use fish?”

Sam spoke in a quiet tone so only The nearby people could hear him,

“I've eaten sushi before. But the methods for cooking it haven't come to my country yet. I know that the main ingredient is raw fish. Everyone in my country is taught how to cook, and thus i am aware of dangers of serving under-cooked food. So since i don't know how to make raw fish food safe, i opted for something different.”

Sitting on his place was a simple roll of seaweed, rice and mango.

“The well being of the person consuming the food is a cooks first priority. I didn't want to accidentally give you Norovirus if i prepared the fish wrong.”

Without speaking, Menchi calmly reached down with her chopsticks and picked up one of the rolls and put it in her mouth. Sam was keenly aware that this was the first piece of food she consumed, and as a result all the other contestants were staring at him. Once she finished she set down her chopsticks and said

“You’re creative, ill give you that. Also at least you have integrity. But by the guidelines that I set you still fail. By definition sushi contains raw fish, what you've made here is technically a maki roll, not sushi.”

“I understand. Ill try again next year.” Responded Sam.

Sam stepped aside and let Wodin present his dish. Since he had done the same thing he had the same result and also failed. As they were about to walk away Menchi spoke up.

“I’ll let you in on a secret,”. She spoke so only Wodin and Sam could hear her. “Its all about freshness. That's how they make raw fish food safe. Its very fresh when its served.”

“I appreciate it.” Sam smiled and walked away.

“What happened!?” Asked Gon excitedly when Sam walked back over.

“We both failed.” Said Sam.

“I guess your risk didn't pay off.” Smirked Killua.

“At least she actually ate mine.” Countered Sam. Killua looked momentarily annoyed and Sam chuckled to himself.

After a few more minutes everyone had finished presenting their dishes. After the last person was done, Menchi stood up and said,

“The second phase is over. You all fail.”

People all started muttering to each other. It was highly unusual for an entire pool of contestants to fail. Suddenly there was a loud crash and Sam looked. The contestant Todo, had destroyed his work station in a fit of rage.

“I refuse to accept this. I'm planning on being a blacklist hunter that hunts down criminals, when will I ever need to know how to cook! I wont let a measly gourmet hunter tell me I failed.” He shouted.

“Would you quit running your damn mouth!” All eyes turned to Sam who could no longer contain himself.

“You wanna know why cooking is important? The cook is the one who decides who gets to eat. If you piss off the cook you don't eat, if you don't eat you starve! On top of that cooks have to worry about dozens of food-borne illnesses some of which are fatal! Cook are the reason you don't have it coming out of both ends! You’re such an inconsiderate ass that I guarantee whenever you eat at a restaurant someone spits in your food, and your lucky they don't do worse!”

Todo was standing there with a scowl on his face, and getting more angry, but Sam wasn't done yet.

“On top of that you’re a moron! You want to pass the hunter exam? Then its common sense not to start badmouthing the Proctor of the exam as soon as you meet them! There are so few rules for this exam and hunters are crafty people! That means if you piss one off they can ABSOLUTELY find a way to fail you!”

Both Sam and Todo were now red in the face but before either of them could act, Menchi spoke up again.

“Humph, too bad you got stuck with a measly gourmet hunter as your examiner. You'll just have to try again next year.”

She was once again the recipient of Todo’s rage. He let out a shout and attacked. Almost nobody expected Buhara to be the one to bat away Todo. He knocked Todo across the field into one of the walls of the site.

“That was unnecessary Buhara.” Said Menchi.

“If I hadn't stepped in, you'd have killed him.” Responded Buhara.

“That might be true. Everyone listen up,”. Menchi began walking towards the contestants juggling knives as she spoke,

“We are still certified hunters. And all hunters are trained to know some form of martial art. It was foolish to assume we couldn't fight back. As for the matter of the second phase. All of you got the dish wrong and on top of that almost all of you tried the exact same thing. Your lack of creative and independent thinking alone disqualifies you from being hunters.”

Suddenly another come out of nowhere, projected by a loudspeaker.

“Even so, isn't failing every single contestant a little extreme?” Everyone looked up and saw a blimp. There was a tiny speck and Sam realized it was a person. An old man dropped out of the blimp and landed on the ground in front of them.

“Chairman Netero!” Exclaimed Menchi, sounding a bit surprised. Sam and Wodin both exchanged a glance. Netero was well known in his country, he had once saved the life of Wodin's mother who was the chief of their homeland. In fact They had both met Netero when they were much younger.

They were a little bit shocked, they hadn’t heard Netero was chairman of the Hunter Association. It was a bit of a problem, they were supposed to keep the existence of their country hidden after all. And Netero's personality could be a bit.... unpredictable. Sam wasn't sure if he would blow their cover or not. They just had to hope Netero didn't recognize them from their encounter.

Sam didn't really hear most of the conversation. He only caught the last part, where Netero suggested

“How about we redo the second phase, but this time you participate!” And Menchi agreed.

Rather abruptly they were all shuffled onto an airship and the next day they were on a mountain called Split Peak.

Menchi explained the rules. A huge chasm ran through the center of the mountain, and a large bird creature nested their eggs from webs hanging in the chasm to protect them from predators. The task was to make “boiled eggs”.

As for how to acquire the eggs, Menchi demonstrated. She leaped into the chasm and caught onto one of the webs. She stayed hanging from it for several seconds before she let go. She grabbed one of the eggs dangling from the web as fell, and she continued to fall. That is until a tremendous updraft carried her all the way back to the top of the mountain. Many of the contestants including Todo were shocked.

“Wind blows in from both sides of the chasm, and when the opposing winds push against each other, it creates a powerful updraft.” She explained. Many of the contestants were now bolstered. Both watching Menchi successfully pull it off, and having the concept explained to them filled them with confidence.

Many of them leaped from the cliff face to obtain their own eggs. Including Sam and Wodin.

Once they were all hanging there, a few of the contestants let go and tried to grab their own eggs, and succeeded, but the updraft never came and they fell to their deaths.  
“The updrafts must not be constant. They only come periodically, we have to wait for one.” Said Kurapika.

“How can we tell when its time?” Asked Leorio.

“Not yet.” Said Gon.

Sam had seen the strength of Gon's senses before and was inclined to wait for his mark before leaping. When he looked over at Wodin to convey this, he saw Wodin's face was pale.

“Whats wrong?” Sam asked.

“We got so caught up in the moment that we didn't consider everything.” Wodin started. “Menchi was only one person, so with this many of us..... how much weight can these webs hold?”

When Wodin asked that, every contestant who heard them contorted their faces with worry. All but Gon who closed his eyes to better focus his other senses.

Sam looked over and sure enough, the webs were straining against the rock face, trying to keep up the amount of people.

Several people decided they couldn't afford to wait, and leaped for their eggs. They too fell to their deaths.

Those were some of the longest few seconds of Sams life. He just hung there, moving as little as possible. Until he heard Gon say

“Now!”. Gon let go, and Sam followed suit. All the other contestants went along with it as well. Pretty soon each of them had an egg and flying back up to the top of the mountain. The looked like a bunch of skydivers.

“Anyone else?” Menchi asked the rest of the contestants, but none of them stepped forward.

A little while later when the eggs were boiled all the people who passed were enjoying a nice snack. Sam had to admit, he never thought a simple boiled egg could taste that good.

Gon was sharing his egg with Todo, and Menchi was talking to him. It seemed to humble him, and Sam was glad the guy finally came to his senses. After the snack was done everyone got back on the airship, the second phase was over, and the airship was going to carry them to the next phase. Sam wondered what else would be waiting for them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wodin and Sam ponder their new friends.

Sam was surprisingly exhausted. Only two phases of the hunter exam had gone by, but it felt like he had been doing this for weeks. And no one knew how many more phases were left. Everybody had boarded back onto the blimp which was taking them to the next phase. Gon and Killua had run off to explore. Kurapika, Leorio, Wodin and Sam were all just sort of hanging around. They were discussing what happened and possibly getting some rest. But that's when Tonpa came up and said,

 

“You should be careful. They only said that this airship would carry us to the next phase, not phase 3. Phase 3 might take place on the airship itself. The safest thing to do would be to stay awake.” Then he walked off.

 

“Hmmph bullshit.” Said Sam. “The only reason the airship happened at all is because phase 2 got all screwed up. Split Mountain wasn't planned. There's no way phase 3 is on this airship.”

 

He and Wodin walked off while Kurapika and Leorio went to go find somewhere to sleep.

 

“Geez. I thought this would just be an exam, but so much is happening.” Said Sam.

 

“Hey. Does that Killua kid seem familiar to you?” Asked Wodin.

  

“No. Why?”

  

“I know I've never met him before, but something about him... he reminds me of someone, but I just cant place who.”

 

“What is it with these mysterious twelve year olds.” Sam chuckled.

 

“Which reminds me. Do we actually know who Gon's dad is? Or are we just theorizing?”

 

“Well it hasn't been confirmed, but lets be honest, there's a lot of evidence pointing towards Ging. If the last name Freecs isn't enough, Gon's got the same hair. And for having such advanced physical capabilities at such a young age, it does seem like he has Ging's DNA.”

 

“Why the hell would Ging abandon his kid. He didn't seem like such a scumbag.”

 

“And if he didn't wanna raise him, what happened to the mother?”

 

“Who even is the mother. Who would fall for a person like Ging?”

 

“What type of person would a person like Ging fall for?”

 

There were a few moments of silence before Wodin asked

 

“What should we do?”

 

“At the moment, I think nothing. Lets play it by ear and see what happens. Besides there are too many unknowns.”

 

The two of them spoke just a little while longer before drifting off to sleep, unconcerned about what the next phase had to offer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wodin and Sam come up with an unconventional way to get down a very tall tower.

“Quite a view.” Sam said dryly.

 

The next morning they were all standing on top of some giant tower. A loudspeaker came out from the airship which was still nearby.

 

“Welcome to phase 3 of the exam. Your task is to reach the base, you have 72 hours.” With that the ship began floating away.

 

Sam walked over to Leorio and Kurapika, who were looking over the edge of the tower. It was an extremely long drop, and the face of the tower could only be described as shear.

 

“It would be impossible to climb down.” Said Leorio.

 

“Not for a pro rock climber like me.” Said a random guy. He began climbing his way down. Sam and Wodin both grew up in a very mountainous area, so climbing was in their blood. But evidently it was not the climb itself that was the problem. The climber was about a quarter down the tower when several flying beasts approached him. They looked like horribly deformed cupids, one took the climber in its mouth and flew off with him.

 

Leorio and Kurapika both walked off to try and find another way down the tower.

 

“Those beasts have probably been trained by the association. They haven't attacked us at the top of the tower, only the people who tried to climb down the side.” Said Wodin.

 

“They are trying to force us to find a way down from the inside.” Responded Sam.

 

“But the rules only say to reach the base. If they wanted us to go down the inside then why wouldn't they say that specifically?”

 

“Because it's still possible to get down the outside of the tower. They must have accommodated for that.”

 

“Well what do you propose?”

 

Sam took a moment to think before he responded.

 

“With a name like trick tower I bet the inside is full of traps and puzzles and shit. Normally I think that would be fun, but for this its kind of a pain in the ass.  Id rather go down the outside. Its faster, more direct, and in fact much more reliable for making it within the time limit. I would hate to miss passing this phase cause of shitty luck.”

 

“OK so how do you want to do this. Climbing is gonna be too slow, those creatures are gonna catch us. Too high to just fall. Not to mention that kind of combat would be a weakness for me and big heavy hammer.”

 

“Give me some time to think. I have a vague idea, but I need to refine it a little bit. Lets wait at least 24 hours before we try it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“2 reasons. The first is, as more people find ways inside the tower, the less people will see us make our move. Easier to keep our abilities secret.”

 

“And the other reason?”

 

“If this is designed to last 72 hours, then getting to the bottom early means waiting around for it to finish. I would be bored out my mind if we got there too early.”

 

“Were gonna have to wait awhile anyway you know.”

 

“True, but at least this way there is anticipation and frankly planning. We will only have one chance to pull this off. If we mess up then we either fail or die. I would rather wait up for several days planning to make sure nothing goes wrong, than wait down there for a clock to run out.”

 

“Fair enough. So whats the plan?”

 

Sam was about to share when he was interrupted by Gon shouting,

 

“Sam! Wodin! Come over here for a sec!”

 

They trudged over to where Gon, Leorio, Kurapika and Killua were waiting.

 

“Whats up?” Sam asked.

 

“Me and Killua found a way in.” Replied Gon quietly.

 

“Mmhm. There are several trap doors that lead down. But they each seem to only work once.” Said Killua.

 

“But we only found four.”

 

“Gon didn't want to leave anyone behind, but obviously there isn't enough for all of us. He wanted to discuss it with you guys.” Said Kurapika.

 

Sam took a second to laugh. This caused looks of confusion on everyone but Wodin.

 

“There's no need to discuss. You guys take the trap doors.” Said Sam.

 

“But what about you?” Asked Gon.

 

“I appreciate you thinking about me, but me and Wodin already have plan to get down the tower.”

 

“You sure?”

 

“Have a little faith. I bet we get to the bottom before you do.”

 

“Nu uh. We’re definitely gonna get there first!” The challenge seemed to put Gon's mind at ease.

 

“Then ill see you at the bottom?” Sam held out his fist. Gon bumped it with his own and said,

 

“Yea.”

 

Sam and Wodin stuck around long enough to watch the four of them all jump down there trap doors. They then walked over to an edge of the tower and sat down, while Sam explained his plan.

 

* * *

 

In the end they wound up waiting 48 of their 72 hours. A long enough time to critique and perfect the plan, while still allowing enough time for variables. Sam was prepared for phase one.

 

“I hope you've got good aim.” He said to Wodin. Then he began climbing down the side of the tower. He and Wodin were from a very mountainous region, climbing was a way of life for them.   So Sam had no trouble getting down a third of the tower. As expected the strange flying creatures came back.

 

They began circling around where Sam was on the tower. Sam pulled out one of his short-swords and used it to fend off one of the creatures, as it tried to bite him. It screeched angrily and flew away. He had their attention completely on him and none of them bothered to look up. So when Wodin crashed into one of them with his hammer, it threw the group into chaos.

 

Once the creatures had begun to gather, Wodin had pulled out his hammer and leaped from the top of the tower. He had held the head of his hammer beneath him as he tried to adjust his flight-path. His hammer slammed into the nape of one of the creatures neck, killing it instantly. Wodin grabbed onto the creature as it began falling. And while the rest of the creatures were panicking, Sam leaped from the side of the tower towards the closest one. He pulled his second short sword out in midair and plunged both his weapons in the neck of another creature. He too began falling. He adjusted himself on the creatures back and grabbed a wing in each hand. He essentially began to steer the corpse of the creature into a glide towards the bottom of the tower. He saw that Wodin had done the same, though it took Wodin a little longer to get control.

 

Most of the remaining creatures decided that this prey wasn't worth the hassle. The few who tried to give chase, couldn't keep up with Wodin and Sam, who could steer into a free fall whenever they needed to escape, and then regain control once they had some distance. They continued gliding down towards the base when they saw what looked like a small outcrop three quarters of the way down the toward. Sam shouted and signaled Wodin, and they both turned toward it.

 

A couple traps, puzzles and two dead serial killers later, they found themselves in a room with everyone else who passed.   Hisoka was there, and was apparently injured.  Sam looked around and noticed that Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika were nowhere to be seen.   Sam was a little worried but they still had about 20 hours left.  

* * *

 

There were now about two minutes left and Gon and friends still hadn't arrived.  Sam was pacing nervously around the room.  

"where are they?"  he muttered.  

"Have faith.  I have never met anyone more determined than Gon."  said Wodin

"I'm not worried about his determination I'm worried about his luck."  

"I'm sure he'll be fine.  Just relax."

Suddenly, one of the doors opened and out strode Gon, Kurapika, Killua, Leorio, and (to Sams dismay) Tonpa.  Literally as the time was counting down with thirty seconds left.

Sam strode over to them,

"Geez,"  (Sam remembered he was with children and stopped himself from swearing)  "You guys are cutting it close."  Suddenly a voice came over the intercom.

Gon laughed and said "I guess you won the bet."  

Sam ruffled Gon's hair and laughed. 

"Time's up, the third phase is over.  All of you at the base of the tower pass."

Sam breathed a sigh of relief, he and all his friends had made it through to the next phase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna try and power through some of the early stuff so i can get to my original ideas, which I'm very excited about.


End file.
